Group hopes to increase broadband access in Harbor Springs area

HARBOR SPRINGS — Over the past year, HARBOR, Inc., has been working with Connect Michigan in order to increase community literacy in the Harbor Springs area, and its Community Technology Action Plan is complete.

The goal of the two organizations is to make Harbor Springs a “connected community.” To be a connected community, the area must have broadband access available to all residents and those residents must be able to access and use the technology.

To create the action plan, HARBOR, Inc., worked with Connect Michigan, a group devoted to increasing the high-speed broadband Internet access throughout Michigan as well as team of representatives from the community, including those from township governments, schools and community members.

“Anyone who may have an interest in broadband and technology,” said Rachel Smolinski, executive director of HARBOR, Inc. “Broadband access is a common problem. It’s a regional issue, so we thought, why not take a regional approach to it?”

A large portion of increasing community literacy is providing access to broadband, which will be HARBOR, Inc.’s main goal. The Harbor Springs area scored only a four out of 10 for broadband availability, three out of 10 for broadband speeds and two out of 10 for broadband competition. Connect Michigan and HARBOR would like to raise those scores. Working with the community will show Internet service providers that there is a market for broadband across the region.

“We want to attract service providers to the area and provide them with more information with potential customers here,” said Smolinski.

Increasing broadband access is not the project’s only goal. The project will also offer digital literacy classes and will work as a sounding board and support network for Harbor Springs Public Schools as the district implements its 2011 technology bond.

Now that the plan to assess broadband and technology status in the Harbor area is complete, the group will meet to discuss how it will address the results of the plan and increase broadband access.

That meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 11 at Harbor Springs City Hall.